Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-03-09
THRILLING ACCIDENT.
A FATAL PANIC ON THE NEW YORK RLB,
IATED ROAD
A String Of Men Showed From Narrow Walk High
Above the Street BY a Moving Trsin-Tsr-
ribls Scenss-fhree Killed and
Seven Badly Injured.

Fourteenth street station.
1t resulted in the death Of three men and
the woundlng of seven.
A fire occurred at the tailoring estab-
lishment of Nicoll, the tailor, on the Bow
ery, near Houston street. The elevated
trains on the down track, were hlockaded
from Ninth street up as far as Fifty-sec-
ond street. All the trains were crowded
with people on their way to work. Along
side the track is a small platform leading
from the stations and used by the employees.
When the seven o'clock train came to a
standstill between Fourteenth and Seven
teenth streets man named Patrick Mat
thews, of AT East Twenty-fourth street,
who was standing on the platform of the
third car opened the gate and got out on
the narrow platform. He started to walk
to the Fourteenth street station and was
followed by number Of men who were
ANXIOUS To GET To THEIR WORK.
When within fifteen feet of the station
the train started. Matthews was panic
stricken, and supposing he was going to fall
off the platform TO the street below, he
clutched hold of the man who WAS standing
beside him and they both fell to the ground
and were instantly killed. The other men
became panic stricken and jumped into the
street
The greatest excitement spread among
the passengers, and it was rs much as the
train hands could do to keep them III the
cars and to prevent them from jumping
from the train. A rumor was circulated
that a collision had occurred. The women
in the cars
SCREAMED AND PAINTED.
They were in mId-air and no restoratives
could be procured At last the train was
brough TO the station, and most OF the pas
sengers got of and took the surface cars
down town. 1t was nearly eight o'clock
before the blockade was lifted and the
trains run on regular time. The distance
which the men fell was about twenty feet.
A policeman was standing on the corner
at the time, and as soon rs he saw what
had occurred he sent in ambulance calls.
In five minutes there were six ambulances
at Fourteenth street. The dying and
wounded were taken Immediately to New
York, Bellevue and st. Nincent's hospi-
tails.
Hundreds of people gathered around the
scene of the accident, but Capt. Cllnchy
was on hand with a squad of twelve men
and kept the crowd back. The sidewalk
and street were covered with blood.
LIST OF CASUALTIES.
The killed were:
PATRICK MATTHEWS, 447 East Twenty
fourth street, New York.
AN UNKNOWN MAN, upon whose person
WAS found card with the words IT.
NJ. McCabe, Carpenters Union
ANOTHER UNKNOWN MAN, about sixty
five wears of age, with card on which
was inscribed 81. Sina, No. 40 East
Seventy-fourth street, New York"
8 The wounded are:
GEORGE MCCARTNEY, injured hip and
| back.
| ROBERT SHOEMAKER, back and leg.
WILLIAM KENNEDY, back and side.
JAMES LYON, arms, back and head.
JOSE GIRANDIN, injured in back and ribs
and general cOntusIons.
| EMIL. WELLER, injured head, back and
side.
UNKNOWN MAN, seriously injured.
CONFLICTING STORIES.
The officials of the road say that no
blame can attach To the company, az those
who ventured on the plank walk along
side the track did it on their own resp0n-
sibility aud violated the rules of the
company,
The stories as 10 how the accident oc-
CURED are very conflicting and contradlc-
tory. Several eyewitness assert that
when the people on the narrow plank walk
alongside the track were making their way
to the Fourteenth street station the stalled
trains began moving and the engine OF
one OF them swept the people. into tire
street.
LATER DETAILS OF THE DISATER.
The narrow platform from which the
people fell was about y feet high IL Is
used hy the trackmen when on duty, and
above Fourteenth street is not provided
with a hand rail. When the passengers
left the blocked cars and took to the plat
form. the gatemen of the trains offered DC
objection as they ought TO have done. The
crowd that left the cars for the platform
was composed wholly Of men. There
were comparatively few women in the
blockaded trains and none so far as known
ventured upon the track.
A large cortege Of men was picking IT.
way slowly, when suddenly the train
ahead started up and began TO move. The
next one followed suit and successive se'
ries of Jerks went along the line TO the last
train. Each one Of them shook the mel
in front and made them hurry ahead rap
idly to reach the station safely. Those
behind saw that they were scared and
grew nervous in turn. Some of them
were looking anxiOusly around for sup
port and dozen moving in single file just
below Fifteenth street in sight of the plat
form scurried nervously forward to catch a
gate of the nearest car, when the train oI
which it was q part suddenly started
ahead and nearly shook the foremost man
off his feet.
Shrinking back in fright from the NOV.
ing wheels he crowded against the mar
behind him on the very edge Of the narrow
plank walk. From below where the crowd
was watching the progress Of the promrna
ders in mld-aIr
4 SHOUT OF WARNING AROSE,
but too late. The man seized wildly al
his neighbor in terror Of his life, the lattel
drew back, but the crowd behiad wa
pressing on. The train was moving OF
the right Those farther behind saw 4
momentary punching ofthe crowd in front
and then one, two, half dozen were seer
falling over the edge into the street below
from which arose frightened wall tha
turned into shrieks Of terror and despair a
man after man struck the pavement aDc
lay mangled apd bleeding. Then FOLLOWED
wild rush in the street and wilder am
more desperate one above in the air.
The venturesOme pedestrians caught a
the gates of the train as it passed and eluDl
with the grip of despair. 1t pulled up and
was stopped almost Immediately. Tn
frightened and breathless were pulled il
r and room made for the others In tw'
minutes the plank walk was clear DoWr
below, in the street,
A SCENE or HORROR
was in PROCESS. The men had fallen in tn